Pre-wedding beauty treatments for the bride

More than any other day in her life, a woman wants to look beautiful the day she is married. Pictures will be snapped, memories will be made, and hundreds of eyes will be on her as she walks down the aisle.

In other words, there are lots of reasons to want to look absolutely radiant on your wedding day. But achieving a flawless look takes hard work, dedication, and months of planning.

Keep reading to learn more about the beauty treatments you should and should not be getting before your wedding.

Popular beauty treatments for the bride

Skin treatments before wedding

Your face is the most important body part to focus on, because it’s where people will be looking (you also want to have radiant skin in your photos).

You’ll have your makeup professionally done the morning of your big wedding (with a trial run beforehand), but in order to achieve the perfect look you need to take care of your skin.

The skin on your face is very sensitive, and your makeup won’t look good if the skin beneath doesn’t look good.

We recommend getting one professional facial each month to refresh your skin and décolletage. You can request extractions (when the dirt is removed from your pores), just make sure to do this well in advance because it can cause irritation.

Pro Tip: Take weekly baths with sodium bicarbonate to heal dry skin and use a sugar or salt scrub to soften your elbows.

In addition to facials, microdermabrasion is another popular pre-wedding face treatment – mostly because it removes dead skin and can minimize the appearance of pores.

Microdermabrasion can cause redness, irritation, and skin lightening, so make sure to start well before your wedding to see how the process affects your skin.

Microdermabrasion is ideal for women with sensitive skin. Treatments take less than 20 minutes and are typically repeated every 3-6 weeks.

In the months and weeks leading up to the big day, it’s important to stay hydrated and to eat nutrient-rich foods that are good for your skin. Here are a few:

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Olive oil

Kale

Oatmeal

Green tea

Omega fish oils (supplement)

Pro Tip: Be careful with sun exposure. You don’t want to end up with noticeable tan lines or sunburn on your special day. Wear sunscreen on your skin and lips to minimize tanning and burning.

Dental hygiene

With all the smiling you’ll be doing, you’ll want your teeth to look nice. There are lots of whitening options out there that range in price from $50 to over $1,000.

For many brides, store-bought whitening stripes are enough. If you have noticeably discolored teeth or if you want a dramatically white smile, you may want to opt for at-home bleaching trays ($300-$600) or a professional bleaching treatment ($500-$1,200).

Veneers are the best option if you’re looking to correct the length of individual teeth. The process involves the application of pre-formed porcelain and the results will last between 10 and 20 years. Veneers cost between $1,500 and $3,000.

If you have your teeth whitened, avoid coffee and red wine until after the wedding.

For those who don’t opt for a professional treatment: give your teeth a boost the morning of the wedding by brushing with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Follow-up by using a whitening pen on your teeth.

Pro Tip: Brush twice per day and floss once per day to maintain oral hygiene.

Hair care

Many brides have their hair colored or choose to get hair extensions. If you choose to do either, do it about two weeks before the big day.

Hair extensions are a great option. The process is painless and takes about one-and-a-half hours. Extensions require little maintenance and last about four months.

Even if you aren’t changing hair, make sure to maintain a healthy diet to boost hair health and shine. Avoid split ends by getting regular trims.

Don’t make drastic changes right before your wedding. You want to look like yourself in your wedding photos, so stick with a color and style you know is flattering.

Nails

Did you know it takes about three months for a nail to grow? Meet with a professional a few months before your wedding to decide which products are best and what look you want on your special day.

Maintain a healthy diet and use a high quality cuticle oil. Stay close to the natural shape of your nail, rather than trying to change the shape. Taking too much off the sides can cause splitting.